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Hostage: The Covid Caper Chapter 6 Hilton

Hilton Hotel corridor

Lyndey Milan and John arrive at the Hilton, and it soon becomes disappointingly clear that the government is flying by the seat of its pants, and they’re in tatters:  Day 1 Isolation The city streets were all but deserted. It was a strange feeling – back to On the Beach. I thanked my lucky stars…

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Hostage: The Covid Caper Chapter 5 Crown Promenade

Food waiting for people who've gone missing

Landing in Santiago at one in the morning is fine – the airport’s quiet, and most of the other passengers on our flight from Brazil are obviously heading to Australia too. But as we make our way through customs, quietly lining up in queues, masks on and socially distanced, the camp stretchers along the corridors…

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Hostage: The Covid Caper, Chapter 4, Hilton Hotel

Hilton Hotel arrival with baby

 Janice and Archie (4 years old) at the Hilton Hotel Janice* ends up staying in the same hotel, close to Lyndey Milan, but her circumstances are different again, and the difficulties she faces after a traumatic trip across Asia are huge. With a tiny son who’d had to leave his dad and home in Asia…

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Hostage: The Covid Caper Chapter 3, Lyndey Milan

Some disappointing food at the Hilton

Lyndey Milan heading to Sydney Lyndey, one of Australia’s most beloved food personalities, became a focus for many Australians, curious to know what this new idea of forced isolation by the government was like. Her blog, detailing her thoughts on her experiences with her partner John was eagerly read and discussed by many, taking over…

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Hostage: The Covid Caper – Chapter 2, Brazil

Latam check in Sao Paulo

Sao Paolo clings onto me with a deathlike grip, and just getting out of Brazil becomes a wonder of patience, chaos and new friends. Orlando suddenly looks up at me, pulls over a chair and beckons to me to sit down. I hesitate, thinking I’ll be on a flight soon anyway, sitting for a day…

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Hostage: The Covid Caper Chapter 1, Amazon

Christine Green was there – stuck in Brazil with limited ways home, and finally, not in one forced quarantine situation, but two. And there were others, at the same time, experiencing the despair and frustration of being powerless, homeless and stranded, sometimes for days in strange countries, and hostile airports. ‘Hostage: The Covid Caper’ takes…

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Chef talk: Terry Barrett, a man for all seasons

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What prompts a chef to do full circle? From wanting to put everything on a plate, to going back to basics, and keeping it simple. At Home Hill Winery, where Terry Barrett cooks as we look out at cows and vineyards in a glorious southern Tasmanian rural setting, it was just that, that pushed him…

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Keynote speaker: looking back on a big life and business lessons

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It’s always a thrill to be invited as a keynote speaker, and for me, that invitation from the Women’s Network of Australia was no exception. Janelle Bostock, the CEO, wanted me up in Brisbane to address their boardroom lunch in November, 2018, and this is what I talked about. Some life on the tools, some…

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Chef stress and burn out: solutions

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Chef stress and burnout? Here’s an article by Rachael Smith, who writes for the Restaurant and Caterers’ Association Magazine. Rachael interviewed me last year, and led the piece with my concerns for the industry and why I was setting up the Hotplate website.  Hope you enjoy.   A good article that nails a lot of…

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Why I am no longer a food critic

offthehotplate-food-critic-retiremen

Be a food critic? Why not? It was a great idea at the time. I leapt 2 years ago, after 25 years as an owner/chef of 10 restaurants, then a stint being a journalist, lifestyle editor and executive chef for a large food market chain. I also had a stint teaching (started out many years…

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